MLB Player News

Jax will move to the bullpen and work in a relief role this season, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Jax will get ready for one-to-three-inning assignments, two or three times a week, according to manager Rocco Baldelli.

Jax finished his first big-league season with a 6.37 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 65:29 K:BB across 82 innings. He was a starter in 14 of 18 outings. He'll try to win a role in middle relief. Jax and Lewis Thorpe moving to the bullpen could be a sign the Twins are set to bring in more veteran starting pitchers or are ready to have younger talent contend for rotation roles.

Treinen was absent from camp Tuesday due to a family issue, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Treinen previously reported to camp and is expected to return Wednesday, according to manager Dave Roberts, so this doesn't appear to be an issue that will affect his readiness for Cactus League contests. The right-hander is tentatively expected to serve as the team's closer unless Kenley Jansen, who remains a free agent, is brought back into the fold.

Smeltzer (elbow) reported to the Twins' big-league camp Sunday as a non-roster invitee, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

After being outrighted off the Twins' 40-man roster in November, Smeltzer joined Minnesota's minor-league camp before the lockout ended, according to Park. The 26-year-old right-hander is healthy again after he didn't pitch after April of last year due to nerve irritation in his left elbow. Smeltzer has 19 MLB appearances (seven starts) to his name, but he's not a serious contender for a spot in Minnesota's Opening Day rotation.

The Tigers are still looking to add starting pitchers before the season starts, which could push Alexander out of a rotation spot, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Alexander is tentatively set as the team's fifth starter, but the lefty has proven himself capable as a long reliever in the past as well. Eduardo Rodriguez, Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning should all be locked in as starters, and the Tigers also added veteran Chase Anderson on a minor-league deal Monday as a potential rotation option. Alexander could have a little fantasy value if he's starting, though he seems likely to shift to the bullpen at some point this season.

Reed experienced soreness in his oblique during a bullpen session Tuesday and has been shut down from throwing, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Reed has no official timeline for his return and isn't expected to throw again until the soreness subsides. The 29-year-old had an outside chance of securing a spot in the Mets' bullpen for Opening Day, but the injury likely means he'll begin the 2022 campaign in the minors.

Pivetta will start Saturday's spring training game against the Twins, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Pivetta takes the ball after Nathan Eovaldi starts Friday. The 29-year-old right-hander tossed live batting practice Tuesday in preparation for the start. Assuming Chris Sale resumes his role as the team's No. 1 starter, Pivetta lines up as Boston's third starter.

McHugh agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with Atlanta on Tuesday. The contract includes a club option worth $6 million for 2024, which has a $1 million buyout.

McHugh was a key piece for Tampa Bay's bullpen in 2021 with a 1.55 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 74:12 K:BB across 64 innings, and he'll now join the defending World Series champions. The veteran right-hander posted strong strikeout and walk rates (30.0 and 4.9 percent, respectively) last year and should step into a high-leverage role in Atlanta's bullpen.

Burdi was released by the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.

Burdi was claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks in October but has been let go early in spring training. He appeared in seven games between the White Sox and Orioles last year and had a 5.40 ERA over 10 innings.

Manager David Ross said Tuesday that Thompson (shoulder) and Justin Steele will be the primary competitors for the fifth and final spot in the Cubs' Opening Day rotation, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Heading into the spring, both Thompson and Steele looked like better bets to open the season in the Triple-A Iowa rotation or in the Cubs' bullpen, but the two will now get the chance to battle for a starting role with the big club after Adbert Alzolay was diagnosed with a lat strain that's expected to keep him out for at least two months. Thompson finished the 2021 season on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, but he appears to be fully healthy for the spring, after he was spotted throwing on the field over the weekend, per Scott Changnon of Marquee Sports Network. Thompson spent much of his time in the majors last season working out of the bullpen, but over the six starts he received, the 27-year-old righty delivered a 5.51 ERA and 3.7 K-BB% in 16.1 innings.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Tuesday that he hopes for Hicks (elbow) to build up in the neighborhood of 50 pitches during spring training, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

At least for the time being, the Cardinals are allowing Hicks to compete for a starting role with the big club, but Marmol's comments imply that the right-hander will likely have to be deployed as more of an opener or piggyback option to begin the season if he does in fact crack the Opening Day rotation. Though Hicks reported to camp healthy, the Cardinals are easing him along slowly after recurring elbow trouble limited him to just 13 appearances between the majors and minors in 2021. According to John Denton of MLB.com, Hicks revealed Tuesday that he was dealing with a "minor tear" in his elbow, though he healed quickly following a few platelet-rich plasma injections and was able to pitch at the Arizona Fall League, where his fastball topped out at 100 miles per hour. In an effort to avoid further stress on his arm, Hicks said he believes the 96-to-98-mph range may be the sweet spot for his velocity moving forward, especially if he wants to work as a starter. If the Cardinals decide to scrap the starting experiment, Hicks would still be in good shape to make the Opening Day roster as a reliever.